Two fraudsters cheated concert
promoters out of millions of dollars by pretending to organise gigs by
stars such as Rihanna and Lady Gaga, a court has heard.
Vincent
Carroll and Meceo McEaddy allegedly made more than $2million from
production companies around the world which paid them to set up concerts
that would never take place.
The
pair spent their ill-gotten gains on an international luxury lifestyle,
splashing out on cars, hotels and expensive jewellery, according to
prosecutors in New York.
'Scam': Two men are accused of pretending to organise concerts by Rihanna and Lady Gaga
Carroll, 47, and 38-year-old McEaddy are accused of posing as middlemen with close links to Lady Gaga, Kesha and Rihanna.
Claims: Another allegation centres around Kesha, who was supposedly booked to perform
They were yesterday indicted by the Manhattan district attorney on charges of grand larceny and felony fraud.
The
alleged scammers are accused of promising Brazilian concert promoters
that Rihanna would perform in Rio de Janeiro, and charging an advance
fee of $1million.
They also allegedly agreed that Lady Gaga would perform at a private party in Mexico in exchange for a pavement of $650,000.
A
third charge read out in court yesterday related to a supposed concert
by Kesha, whom Carroll and McEaddy allegedly pretended to represent.
District
attorney Cy Vance said in the indictment: 'These defendants are charged
with selling concert promoters around the world a false bill of goods.
'Rihanna's
Please Don't Stop the Music could be an anthem for the legions of
disappointed fans who heard about her concert in Brazil, only to learn
that it had to be cancelled before tickets even went on sale.
'The
defendants capitalised on the popularity of three of the most famous
pop stars in the world to steal more than $2million from event
promoters. My office will continue to root out and prosecute those who
abuse their victims' trust for their own profit.'
During
the initial court hearing, the judge raised laughter when it emerged
that he had not heard of some of the stars mentioned in the scams.
When a prosecutor mentioned the fake Rihanna concerts, the judge said: 'Who is this?', according to the New York Post.
As
Lady Gaga's name cropped up, he said, 'Lady Gaga, I’ve actually heard
about - a relative of mine went to the same high school as she did.'
However, the judge admitted 'I don't have a clue' about Kesha.
dailymail.co.uk
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